Y'all've heard of the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), a common Windows mistake screen displayed when a organization fault occurs. Merely the B in BSOD doesn't always stand for blue.

A Black Screen of Death can testify to exist more difficult to resolve every bit information technology doesn't display an fault message. It's simply a blackness screen, often with a movable mouse pointer, only no other Windows features.

Here are a few common causes and solutions for the Black Screen of Death.

What Causes the Black Screen of Death on Windows 10?

Diverse issues tin can crusade the Blackness Screen of Death. In this guide, nosotros'll give you solutions for the most common causes:

  • Incomplete Windows ten installation
  • Windows Update
  • Software and commuter errors
  • Display issues
  • Overheating
  • Power supply problems

All the in a higher place can cause a Windows figurer to get stuck on black screen. Whatever Windows 10 computer can suffer from this problem – desktop or laptop. Fifty-fifty a Microsoft Surface Pro can have a Blackness Screen of Death.

Fortunately, nearly all Black Screen of Death cases can exist resolved.

Installing Windows x and the Black Screen of Expiry

If you're installing Windows 10, whether updating from a previous version or onto a formatted difficult drive, errors tin occur.

Amid them is the Windows 10 Black Screen of Death, which tin occur in this instance if:

  • Setup is even so in progress: In this case, check if the difficult drive LED is blinking. Setup is probably still running, but boring, which might be due to the age of the computer. Windows ten should install inside a couple of hours in most cases.
  • Setup is stuck: If this has happened and there is no HDD activity, ability off the computer past holding the power push button for v seconds. Disconnect any non-vital peripherals, and then ability upward again. Setup should restart; if not, and yous're updating from an quondam Windows version, try installing with the media creation tool.
  • A device driver has failed: In this case, reboot the computer into Safe Style. Run across the department "Repair a Black Screen of Death in Safe Manner" below for more information on this.

Installing Windows ten and hitting a Blackness Screen of Death might discourage you lot from persisting. If this is the case, and you're using sometime hardware, consider a gratuitous culling operating system.

A Black Screen After Windows x Update

On Windows ten systems, a Black Screen of Death tin be caused past an unfinished Windows Update.

What typically happens is that the system reboots as office of the update and you're presented with a login screen. However, after entering your countersign, your Windows ten PC is stuck on a black screen afterwards login.

The mouse is responsive; you lot might see some desktop icons; there is no taskbar. In curt, Windows x is stuck with a black screen.

To resolve this problem, but hold the power button downwards on your PC or laptop to switch off the calculator. A cold beginning should result in the system booting properly. If not, bank check our tips on how to recover Windows 10.

Software Error Causes Blackness Screen on Your PC

A black screen error is oftentimes acquired by a software glitch. This most frequently occurs when dealing with a plan that takes over your unabridged screen. Typical culprits are PC games or media players running in full-screen mode.

In these instances, the computer should otherwise appear to run well. Diagnosis should be easy to reproduce. Simply launch the program for a game or media actor, and view in full screen fashion.

Solving the problem, all the same, can be difficult; if the bug lies in the software, there may be no solution. You tin try fixing it by running the program at a different resolution.

Also, try running the software as an administrator. If this doesn't aid, it might be time to update the software. If this isn't possible, you may demand to revert to an older Windows version for that app. Utilize a unlike computer if you have i or install a previous Windows Bone in a virtual machine.

When a Black Screen of Death Is Only a Display Error… or Faulty Connection

Video errors are another common cause of the Black Screen of Death. No video output ways a black screen, no thing what the specific problem might be. Windows may even be presenting a Blue Screen of Expiry---but yous'd never run across it!

Cheque your video connexion before yous go besides worried. Make sure that both ends of your DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort cable is firmly seated and that the string is undamaged.

Did you just upgrade your monitor? If so, make sure your connexion can handle the resolution. Some versions of DVI and HDMI can't handle resolutions above 1080p.

If these easy solutions don't piece of work, you're probable dealing with video adapter issues. If you accept a discrete video card, attempt removing your carte and switching to your motherboard's integrated video.

Does your monitor work? Then the video carte is the trouble. Try updating to the latest driver version bachelor or, if yous recently did that, revert to an old driver. Also bank check the video card for obvious signs of defect, like a broken cooling fan or charred electronics.

Should the monitor non work when continued to integrated graphics, however, you may have a monitor upshot. Cheque it by connecting to another figurer. If the monitor does work with another PC, but not with yours, then you're probably looking at a hardware fault elsewhere that impacts the video menu's ability to work.

Your Windows blackness screen error could exist down to the motherboard, the ability supply, or the hard drive.

Overheating Can Crusade Windows Black Screen Errors

All computers generate heat. This heat must be removed to keep the arrangement running; loftier temperatures tin crusade components to lock-up and become damaged. Fortunately, computers are built to close down before that occurs.

Overheating volition usually issue in a characterless blackness computer screen, which may or may not be followed past a restart.

In many cases, overheating is caused by the video card or the processor. As noted, y'all should suspect the video card if y'all receive a blackness screen when the computer otherwise appears to be working (the fans are on, the hard drive light active, etc.).

If the processor has overheated, the black screen will ordinarily prompt a reboot or automatic shutdown of the PC.

Overheating can often be solved past opening your PC and cleaning out the cobwebs. Utilise a vacuum to suck upwards obvious dust (avoiding internal cables, of course). A can of compressed air tin can dislodge stubborn dirt. Also, cheque that all fans are still working and supplant any that aren't. If the problem persists after these steps, you may have a faulty cooler or flawed video card and/or processor.

Repair a Black Screen of Death in Rubber Way

Hardware and driver bug resulting in a Blackness Screen of Death can be repaired via Safe Mode.

If your reckoner is hanging with a black screen:

  1. Restart the computer
  2. Hold F8or Shift and F8 to boot the estimator into Safe Mode

Unable to reach Rubber Manner in this manner? Effort turning the computer off and then dorsum on once more during the Windows splash screen. On the 3rd attempt, the system volition automatically boot into Condom Mode.

With Safe Mode running:

  1. Click Avant-garde optionsso Troubleshoot
  2. From here become to Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart
  3. Select selection iv, Enable Safety Mode
  4. Expect for Windows Safe Mode to start
  5. In one case booted, printing Windows + X
  6. In the Quick Link menu select Device Manager
  7. Expand Display adapters then right-click and select Disable
  8. Restart the computer to recommence installation of Windows 10

If successful, run a Windows Update to download the latest device drivers and solve the Blackness Screen of Expiry issue.

Computer Stuck on a Black Screen? Bank check the PSU

A faulty power supply unit of measurement (PSU) may cause your PC to hang with a black screen. But how tin can y'all fix a Black Screen of Expiry acquired by the PSU?

Later on all, PSU problems tin exist hard to diagnose. Y'all'll usually find the problem through a process of emptying, but this can take fourth dimension. If yous've already checked other hardware and no components are overheating, then the power supply is a probable culprit.

In some cases, the PSU may non even exist at error. Upgrades to power-hungry new video cards or processors tin can bear on the power supply. In short, your computer is not receiving enough power.

Y'all can only know for certain past replacing the PSU. As this is a final resort, work through the other solutions first.

Fix the Black Screen of Decease With These Tricks

The Blackness Screen of Death is usually caused by a software glitch (or Windows Update) but tin can often be repaired.

Black screens that occur seemingly at random are usually the upshot of a more than serious hardware problem. This volition crave component repair or replacement. Whatever the case, there is well-nigh always a solution.

11 Tips to Help Yous Set the Windows 10 Bluish Screen Fault

What is a bluish screen in Windows? How practice you fix blueish screen errors? Here are several fixes for this common Windows problem.

Read Next

About The Author

Christian Cawley (1567 Manufactures Published)

Deputy Editor for Security, Linux, DIY, Programming, and Tech Explained, and Really Useful Podcast producer, with extensive experience in desktop and software support. A correspondent to Linux Format magazine, Christian is a Raspberry Pi tinkerer, Lego lover and retro gaming fan.

More From Christian Cawley